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Hello Friends!
I hope 2026 will be filled with creations that make your heart sing!
Relentless grey skies can be a really good reason to put colour in our hands over the winter months. Add the challenge of a new technique, plus a few long term projects, and good-bye grey! While we wait for the ground to turn white with sparkles, or to sprout a hint of spring, our fingers will be busy creating something beautiful. Before you know it we’ll be all set to celebrate a new season!
These classes will continue during the winter:
The Poppy Tee by Petite Knit
A beautiful way to dive into the European shoulder, contiguous sleeves, a neat folded collar, and a classic fit.
Nordic Bloom Vest or Cardigan by Caitlin Hunter
Over-sized and warm, with contemporary floral colour work, these two garments are knit bottom up, and are steeked up the centre front.
The following classes are new and will begin over the winter:
Mosaic Knitting
Knit a Pressed Flower Cardigan
designed by Amy Christoffers of Savory Knitting
This V-neck cardigan features a slip stitch knitting technique, that builds complex motifs, while working with only one colour at a time.
Intarsia Knitting
Knit the Nola Cardigan
designed by Bernice at Yamagara Knits
A great introduction to Intarsia, a colourwork technique that is worked in colour blocks with separate balls of yarn.
Here are the program details:
European Shoulder with Contiguous Sleeves
The Poppy Tee
a Petiteknit pattern
4 Saturdays, 1 to 4
Class #4 on January 31
Venessa’s Poppy Tee yoke
In Class #3 knitters picked up the stitches around the neckline to work the ribbed and folded band as shown here:
students knitting beautiful neckbands
Stranded Colourwork – a steeked garment
one pattern – two garments by Caitlin Hunter
5 Saturdays from 1 to 4
Class #2 on January 17
picture from ravelry
Both Nordic Bloom garments are knit bottom-up and steeked at the centre front, using stranded colourwork. They are intended to be over-sized, but that can be customized for the fit that you want. The pattern is inspired by the bold floral motifs common in Scandinavian design.
In Class #1 knitters cast on and worked their swatches of the flower motif. With the gauge information they have chosen their sizes and cast on for the ribbing.
In Class #2 we’ll establish the front steek and begin working the body in the round, stranding the flower motifs.
picture from ravelry
Mosaic Knitting
Pressed Flower Cardigan
by Amy Christoffers
5 Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m.
Class #1 on Valentine’s Day
Amy’s pictures from ravelry
This V-neck cardigan is worked from the bottom up using the Mosaic Knitting technique. It is intended to have an over-sized fit, but can be customized to meet your styling needs.
Please bring your calendar to the first class. We will schedule the 2nd class to suit everyone’s needs.
The Learning:
– The Mosaic Knitting in this pattern is a slip stitch technique combined with stitches to create textured fabric, worked with one colour at a time. We will work a swatch in the first class to learn the technique, check gauge, and choose our sizes.
– working from a chart
– achieving a good fit while working from the bottom up
– working a shaped neckline with a buttonband and buttonholes
If this program interests you, and you would like the details about yarn choice and registration, please email for more information using this link. In your email please let me know if February 14 from 1 to 4 works for you. I do my best to accommodate everyone’s schedules. Thanks a lot!
Intarsia Knitting
The Nola Cardigan
designed by Yamagara
4 Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m.
Class #1 on March 7
This top-down cardigan has modified raglan shaping designed to keep the shoulders from sliding off. The Intarsia magnolias are placed only on the sleeves. This intarsia is a comfortable introduction to the technique, and can be partially duplicate stitched.
Venessa’s first swatch
The Learning:
– great introduction to intarsia colourwork and duplicate stitching
– managing multiple small balls of yarn
– top-down knitting
– v-neck shaping
– knitting buttonbands and buttonholes as-you-go, no picking up needed
– working from a chart
– sleeve style can be customized
If this program interests you, and you would like the details about yarn choice and registration, please email for more information using this link. In your email please let me know if March 7 from 1 to 4 works for you. I do my best to accommodate everyone’s schedules. Thanks a lot!
I will be teaching at the Fibres West yarn festival
on March 20 and 21.
A Firstie Knitting Story
Last year The Firsties raised money at their dramatic production about climate change to buy a tree. They researched the trees that could thrive at the front of the school, learned how to dig a hole, and the way to plant it. On the big day, the last day of Grade One, they each brought their own shovel and took turns digging to plant the cherry tree they had chosen, then named her Sekai (World in Japanese). Together they planned a watering schedule for the summer months.
The next day the tree was hurt quite badly – trunk cracked in half and branches torn off. A quick thinking parent repaired it within hours and we all rallied to keep her alive over the hot summer. The Firsties visited regularly, read books and sang to her, and kept her watered. She survived and even sprouted new branches!
This year the Knitting Club (meets once a week after school) chose the tree as their project – a winter coat – and in September began knitting the pieces and stitching them together. This week was the first try on. The knitters voted to leave the tree sweater on overnight and trust that it would be okay. They will take turns stitching it on over the next few weeks.
Just off my needles
This year I had a yarn advent calendar treat!
I used 15 of the 24 skeins to crochet a shawl that I know I will wear a lot! I used the Venture Shawl pattern by woodsandwool. It started with the beige and moved through to a deep blue/plum. I have 9 full minis left that are the dark plum running through pink and back to beige. I used only 10 grams of each of the 15 20 gram minis. The gift that will keep on giving!
pictures taken in the courtyard outside my classroom
I hope I will see you soon!
Cardigan will be waiting for you.
Venessa
